West Bengal’s biggest annual festival recently saw the addition of a strikingly contemporary pavilion that is 100 percent recyclable in Kolkata , India. Designed by Abin Chaudhuri of the firm Abin Design Studio , the metal mesh pavilion was one of many temporary pavilions — or pandals — constructed to honor the goddess Durga as part of a five-day Hindu festival called Durga Puja. Unlike the other pandals, which are typically built of natural materials and reference traditional motifs and artworks, Abin Design Studio’s creation is architecturally modern with a dynamic form made from steel wire cubes. Installed inside an alley surrounded by buildings, Abin Design Studio’s Festival Pavilion stands out from its predecessors for the way it embraces the site. Rather than covering up the buildings, Abin Chaudhuri regarded the structures as a backdrop for his stacked cubes of steel wire mesh. The pavilion , which appears as a heap of cubes threatening to topple at any moment, is not only used to frame the deity, but it has also been manipulated to create an entrance arch and immersive sculptural artwork. “The installation is based on the idea of ‘Childhood,’” Abin Design Studio explained. “At the entrance of the installation, an abstract flight of birds overhead depicts the freedom of thought and creativity in young children. The wings gradually diminish and the birds tessellate into an array of boxes. Along with the deconstructed arrangement, the boxes put forward a commentary on the scenario of a child’s immense inherent potential getting slowly confined into a metaphorical box. The form of the installation then compels the viewer into a ‘void’, a place to sit and contemplate, in the axial presence of ‘Maa Durga.’” Related: A glowing river of books creates a traffic-free haven in Ann Arbor All parts of the temporary 350-square-meter pavilion are recyclable , from the steel mesh cubes and bamboo framing system to the plywood support system for the platform and stage as well as the old newspaper folded into origami birds. Moreover, the pavilion was also created as a module that could be replicated to activate forgotten urban spaces throughout the city, even in non-festival times. + Abin Design Studio Photography by Suryan/Dang, Abin Chaudhari, Sohomdeep Sinha Roy and Nancy Mandhan via Abin Design Studio

Comments Off on An urban farm and restaurant flourishes in Utrechts circular pavilion

A new restaurant celebrating sustainability has opened in Utrecht, the Netherlands. Designed by Dutch architecture firm cezeped , The Green House is a “circular” pavilion that houses a restaurant, urban farm and meeting center. Created as part of an initiative by Strukton Ballast Nedam and Albron, the experimental and temporary venue follows eco-friendly principles and features modular components so that it can be dismantled and moved to a new location in the future. The Green House was born from a larger project that saw cepezed transform the former Knoopkazerne barracks on Croeselaan into a modern government office. Next to the office building was a vacant space that wouldn’t see development for the next 15 years; the developers asked the architects to create a temporary design that could reactivate that leftover lot. With the project’s relatively short lifespan in mind, the architects crafted a design based on the “principles of circularity ” to ensure that the building could be rebuilt elsewhere in 15 years. Related: Sustainable ‘circular economy’ principles inform Amsterdam’s flexible Circl pavilion Modularity and reusability are at the heart of The Green House, a two-story pavilion with a removable steel frame. “The dimensions are derived from those of the smoke glass facade panels of the former Knoopkazerne; these have been re-used for the second skin and the greenhouse of the pavilion,” the architects explained. “The circularity of the building also lies in the choice of the right floor in the right place. Street clinkers from an old quay in Tiel replace the classic ground floor that has been poured. They are located on a compacted sand bed with underfloor heating.” Related: Vertical Gardening 101 The first floor was constructed from prefabricated and recyclable timber elements, while the roof is sheathed in a lightweight and perforated steel sheet filled with insulation and topped with solar panels. The glass curtain wall lets in plenty of natural light so that artificial lighting is minimized. The restaurant occupies the ground floor, while the meeting rooms and the 80-square-meter vertical farming greenhouse are located upstairs. Restaurant patrons can see glimpses of the greenhouse from below and also enjoy views of an indoor green wall. + cezeped Images by Lucas van der Wee/cepezed

Comments Off on Shipping container village for startups pops up in Amsterdam

In a bid to create affordable office space in Amsterdam , Dutch architect Julius Taminiau has upcycled a series of shipping containers into Startup Village, a temporary cargotecture hub for fledgling companies. Located in Amsterdam Science Park, the container buildings are stacked and painted in a variety of colors to create a space that can adapt to different needs. In addition to offices, the Startup Village offers space for events and gatherings ranging from networking parties to outdoor cinema nights. Architect Julius Taminiau was inspired to experiment with cargotecture during his time at London-based Carl Turner Architects , where he worked on Pop Brixton, a project that transformed a derelict space into a shipping container community. After moving to the Netherlands and opening his own firm—Julius Taminiau Architects—Taminiau decided to create a low-cost office space for startups in Amsterdam Science Park. The architect arranged the upcycled containers around a large communal square conducive to events and designed the hallways and circulation to take place outside the containers in order to encourage interaction between different startups. Since the project is meant to be temporary, Startup Village was constructed with recyclable materials and an easily removable concrete tile foundation. The 155-square-foot containers are completely insulated, airtight, and heated with low-energy, infrared heating. Windows installed on both sides of each container can be opened for cross-ventilation. Taminiau collaborated with Green Art Solutions to install green roofs and other greenery on-site. Related: Repurposed shipping containers make a bold statement at the National Theater Company of Korea “The ‘low-cost’ ‘low-energy’ ‘circular’ upcycled shipping containers provide some sort of ‘free’ atmosphere where young startups feel soon at home and provide the means to develop, innovate, grow and professionalise,” explains Julius Taminiau Architects. “Should a startup need more space they can move within the Startup Village but also within the campus area of Science Park.” The Startup Village also plans to add larger containers in the future for scale-ups. + Julius Taminiau Architects Via Dezeen Images via Julius Taminiau Architects

Comments Off on 100% recyclable materials make up these low-impact monastery huts in Italy

Edoardo Milesi & Archos designed a series of minimalist monastery guesthouses that reflect the monastics’ ascetic lifestyle in the Siloe community. Located in the province of Grosseto in central Italy, these huts are built entirely of recyclable materials and are elevated off the ground to ensure low impact on the beautiful rural landscape. The Monastery Complex of Siloe comprises five guesthouse units set outside monastery grounds against a hilly backdrop crisscrossed with trails. Each guesthouse was carefully sited on the landscape to minimize site disturbance . The buildings are elevated on stilts to mitigate uneven terrain. Only recyclable materials were used in construction, including timber used for the roofs, lofts, and walls, to the ventilated covering made of zinc and titanium. External cladding, floors, doors, and window trim are built of naturally oxidized larch. Related: Plastic waste pop-up pavilion rethinks recycling in the Netherlands Approximately 33 square meters in size, each guesthouse comprises a bedroom; bathroom; open-plan living room with a dining area and kitchenette; a north-facing balcony; and a south-facing loggia . The windows are located on the north and west sides to create diffused lighting indoors, while the south side is mostly closed off and equipped with eaves to protect against solar heat gain. + Edoardo Milesi & Archos Via domus Images by Aurelio Candido

Comments Off on Green-roofed timber cabin floats above the ground in Mexico City

Set within a grove of trees, the Black Cabin is protected from acoustic disturbance and visual pollution. In a nod to the environment, the contemporary cabin is clad in black-stained black pine planks and punctuated by large glazed panels that frame views of the landscape and promote passive ventilation and natural light. The building’s green roof doubles as a thermal filter and is accessible as a secondary garden space and outdoor dining area. Related: Green-roofed home with rusting walls appears to grow out of a Finnish forest The 106-square-meter cabin comprises three modules: a private module containing the bedroom and bathroom; a semi-public module with the kitchen, guest bathroom, and laundry room; and the public module housing the living room and outdoor terrace. The building frame is made from recyclable metal and is elevated 60 centimeters above the ground to protect the house from water, humidity, and cold. The airy interior is made warm and welcoming with natural timber surfaces and white-painted gypsum-paneled walls. + Revolution Architects Via ArchDaily Images via Revolution Architects , by Black Rabbit

When we gaze up at a tree full of lush, green leaves we are actually looking at hundreds of tiny batteries. These tiny appendages save energy for the tree to use at a later time, a natural process scientists have harnessed to create literal leaf batteries as eco-friendly alternatives to the lithium powerhouses of today. Read the rest of Scientists make eco-friendly batteries out of leaves

Comments Off on Sprout Watches: Eco-Friendly Timekeepers that are Big on Style

For those who still like to wear a classic timepiece instead of pulling out their phone every five minutes, Sprout Watches are fabulous, eco-friendly timekeepers. Each Sprout Watch is lead- and phthalate-free, and the range features renewable and recyclable materials, such as organic corn resin, bamboo, organic cotton, cork, and Tyvek. There are dozens of styles to choose from for men, women and children. And with prices from as little as $30, they are an affordable holiday gift idea for everyone on your shopping list. READ MORE > Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: crosspost , eco-friendly watches , ecouterre , green products , green watches , recyclable materials , renewable materials , Sprout Watches , timepieces